Munimul Islam, a former board member of the American Chamber of Commerce in Myanmar, was detained in Spain on Tuesday upon arriving at Barcelona’s international airport for a holiday with his wife. The arrest was executed based on an Interpol “Red Notice” that had been requested by authorities in Myanmar, who are seeking his arrest on allegations of financial impropriety. Islam, who serves as the CEO of Misfit Technologies and is a Bangladesh national, maintains that the charges are entirely fabricated by the current board of the organization.
The legal dispute centers on accusations from AmCham Myanmar regarding the alleged misappropriation of approximately $300,000. The organization claims these funds were intended for a Washington-based public relations firm, Mercury Public Affairs, to assist in lobbying efforts. According to the official complaint from AmCham Myanmar, the funds were “illegally collected” using the association’s name and were never deposited into the group's bank accounts. However, documents show that the $300,000 was paid by Islam’s company, Misfit Technologies, directly to Mercury Public Affairs and was declared as required by the U.S. government.
In a short voice note provided to The Associated Press following his detention, Islam stated, “This is a fabricated case. We have all the evidence, the press has all the evidence, the Myanmar court has been given all the evidence.” While the current board of the chamber claimed in its May annual report that it never approved the agreement, made no payments, and received no services, other internal documents appear to contradict this. A signed board resolution provided by supporters of Islam indicates that the board had approved the lobbying initiative, authorized the hiring of Mercury, and agreed that Misfit Technologies would provide the necessary sponsorship.
Myat Phyu The, the current executive director of AmCham Myanmar, stated that the organization had not been apprised of Islam's detention. She maintained that decisions concerning charges, detention, bail, or guilt are matters for the relevant authorities and courts rather than the chamber itself. She further alleged that the board resolution provided by Islam’s supporters was a recent fabrication. However, meeting minutes from the chamber’s own website suggest the board was aware of the arrangement, and the AP confirmed that Mercury Public Affairs did organize and attend multiple meetings in Washington with the chamber’s former leadership.
Following his hearing in Spain, Islam was ordered held in custody because he has no residence in the country. His attorney, Cristián Carci, stated that Islam is appealing the decision and will fight any potential extradition. Legal experts suggest that an extradition to Myanmar is unlikely, as European Union regulations allow for the denial of such requests if an individual faces the risk of torture, which the United Nations has described as “systematic” following the military's seizure of power in 2021.
The detention has drawn attention from other members of the business community who have faced similar issues in Myanmar. Castillo, a former U.S. Marine who served as AmCham Myanmar president from 2023 to 2025, was released from Yangon’s Insein prison on September 16 after three months of detention. He was forced to leave the country after U.S. officials traveled to Myanmar to press for his return. Although Myanmar state-run media reported he had been deported to foster “friendly diplomatic relations,” Castillo noted there is no evidence of a deportation order in his passport. In his first public comments since his release, Castillo urged Spanish authorities to immediately release Islam and to scrutinize how a local chamber of commerce dispute was allowed to escalate into an international law-enforcement matter.
Another individual, Ye Khaung Kyaw, was deported last week after being pressured to take a plea to breach of trust, with the warning that he could face at least another year in prison if his case went to trial. Myanmar is currently governed by President Min Aung Hlaing, who led the military officers that seized control from the democratically elected leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, in 2021. Since then, the government has consolidated power and held elections earlier this year that critics described as neither free nor fair. Human Rights Watch and other organizations have reported that the government has revised the legal system to facilitate a crackdown on dissent and kept proceedings closed to the public. A spokesperson for Myanmar’s Home Affairs Ministry stated he had not been informed of Islam’s arrest, and the Foreign Ministry did not respond to requests for comment.
